Tag: dance career

My Dance Company Closed. What's Next?

Amidst the COVID-19 crisis, many dancers are facing company closures or layoffs. Before the pandemic hit, Dance Spirit had the chance to speak with Laura Osterhaus, who was a full-time dancer with the Minnesota-based Zenon Dance Company when it closed in June 2019. While the dance world was drastically different when Osterhaus coped with the […]

What to Expect at Your First Dance-Contract Meeting

As a dancer, you get artistic feedback in small doses every day: “Don’t forget to spot,” “Turn out your leg,” “Raise your passé”—the works. But what happens when you land that first job, and it comes time to sit face-to-face with your company’s artistic leadership to discuss your bigger-picture progression? We asked three experts for […]

Are TV Dance Competitions a Key to Career Success?

In April 2015, Alyssa Allen found herself in a nearly unprecedented position. It was Vegas Week on Season 12 of “So You Think You Can Dance,” she was a clear favorite for the show’s Top 20—and she respectfully declined the opportunity. In a conversation with judge Nigel Lythgoe, Allen said she strongly believed she should […]

How Getting a Job at Your Dance Studio Can Benefit Your Wallet—and Career Path

If you’re in high school, working after school/on the weekends/over the summer may be a reality you’re not keen to face. After all, you’ve got enough to worry about: homework, rehearsals, technique classes, and maybe even college applications. But a job doesn’t have to mean babysitting or folding sweaters at Madewell. Instead, you can develop […]

True Life: I Had Breast Reduction Surgery to Help My Dance Career

Kylie Morton Berry, principal dancer and ballet mistress with the Appalachian Ballet Company, shares her story. I developed breasts late—around age 15—but it happened fast. By senior year of high school, I was wearing a DD-cup. I didn’t grow or gain weight anywhere else, so I was very uncomfortable. I felt out of proportion. Also, […]